Waugh to draw on Jamaican nightmare

PERTH - Steve Waugh is drawing on the memory of a Jamaican nightmare to ensure Australia doesn't let its guard down in the second Test against the embattled West Indies at the WACA Ground tomorrow.

With his team seeking a world record 12th consecutive win, the Australian captain has been at pains to remind everyone of the Windies' stirring comeback in the Caribbean early last year which turned the Test series on its head.

It came courtesy of Brian Lara, who was booed by the Sabina Park crowd before unleashing a double century which ended a six-match losing streak, one week after the Windies had been smashed in the first Test.

The situation is similar in Perth - the Windies have been woeful and Lara out of touch - but Waugh is determined they won't get away with another revival.

"They caught us off guard in Jamaica. We had them 4-30 chasing 230 and we probably thought the game was over again after the first Test match when we bowled them out for 51," Waugh said.

"Then Lara and Jimmy Adams produced that great partnership so we learnt a lot from that - we can't take anything for granted."

That partnership realised a crushing 322 runs, leaving Australia wicketless on one day for the first time in decades of Test cricket.

Waugh will change one key element this time, indicating he will send the Windies in to bat if he wins the toss to maintain the pressure on the batsmen who folded for 82 and 124 in the first Test.

The skipper will have a conventional bowling attack after Australia decided against using four pacemen for the first time in nine seasons, leaving Andrew Bichel to carry the drinks.

But the Windies will still face a fast-bowling barrage from Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie on the bouncy WACA track while leg-spinner Stuart MacGill waits his turn.

It will be the first time McGrath, Lee and Gillespie have been united in a Test, making the job even tougher for the likes of Lara and his senior batting partners.

The Windies are desperate for Lara to regain his touch after he joined the procession in Brisbane by folding for zero and four against McGrath.

If he doesn't, the Windies will probably lose their first Test at the WACA after tormenting Australia at the ground in their five previous matches. That would leave them 2-0 down in the series and on track for another thumping away from home.

"They will probably consider this their best chance of winning with the wicket the way it is so it will be an important Test match," Waugh said.

"But if we do win as convincingly as we did in the first Test then I would suggest they would struggle from there."

Waugh and coach John Buchanan have been reminding their players to focus on the match and not worry about the looming milestones which have garnered so much attention.

Apart from the bid for a world record winning streak, McGrath is expected to pass 300 wickets and Lee is tipped to challenge the record for the fastest delivery in cricket.

"There has been a lot of talk and we're aware of it but we just want to make sure we can play as well as we did in Brisbane," Waugh said.

"I've said all along that the process is more important and the end result will take care of itself if we do the little things right."

The West Indies were expected to announce their team later today, but the tourists would stick with the pace quartet which bowled well in Brisbane.

Australia: Stephen Waugh (capt), Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain), Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Stuart MacGill, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Bichel (likely 12th man).

West Indies (likely): Jimmy Adams (capt), Sherwin Campbell (vice-captain), Daren Ganga, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ridley Jacobs, Nixon McLean, Mervyn Dillon, Marlon Black, Courtney Walsh, Mahendra Nagamootoo (probable 12th man).